Arsenal ‘closing in’ on second summer signing, Arsenal officials meeting in next hour to “discuss next steps” on £60m-plus transfer…

Arsenal officials are set to convene within the next hour to deliberate on the subsequent steps regarding the pursuit of Bruno Guimaraes, valued at over £60 million.

According to David Ornstein from the Athletic, the Gunners appear to have encountered a setback with their initial offer for the Brazilian international.

Nevertheless, a different X account managed by various journalists has responded to Ornstein’s update, indicating that additional discussions concerning this potential transfer will take place at 5 PM today, which is less than an hour from now.

Guimaraes has been instrumental for Newcastle, making it clear that he will not come at a low price, with Ornstein asserting that a transfer for the 28-year-old for £60 million is highly unlikely.

Arsenal has made a verbal proposal to acquire Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United, but their offer, communicated through intermediaries, fell short of £60 million and was rejected, as Newcastle insists on retaining the 28-year-old.

Newcastle has recently lost several key players, including Alexander Isak, who transferred to Liverpool last summer, and Anthony Gordon, who has already joined Barcelona this year.

While Guimaraes may be seeking a new challenge, it is expected that Newcastle will strive to retain their prominent players without yielding easily.

What should Arsenal’s offer for Bruno Guimaraes be?

While Arsenal could benefit from additional depth in their midfield, it is not an urgent concern for Mikel Arteta at this moment.

The north London club already boasts solid midfield options, including Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and Christian Norgaard.

However, there is a strong possibility that Norgaard may depart after receiving minimal playing time last season, suggesting that Arteta may not have full confidence in him.

Acquiring Guimaraes would undoubtedly represent a significant enhancement, enabling Arsenal to rotate their squad more effectively and providing players like Rice and Zubimendi with much-needed rest after a demanding year of football.

Still, investing more than £60m in that caliber of player seems substantial, especially when Guimaraes would probably only be a signing for the next two or three years at most, owing to his age.